The present invention relates to electrode devices such as are used in EKG procedures, and more specifically to a novel assembly or package for said devices, and a novel method of manufacture of said assembly and said electrode devices.
With regard to the health care field, it is relatively common place today to employ the monitoring of human body functions as part of surgical procedures, and also for other testing and diagnostic purposes. One of the more common monitoring procedures (referred to as "ECG") is the use of electrode devices which are attached to the skin surface of a patient and when connected to appropriate monitoring and recording apparatus will provide both a visual and/or graphic representation as to the function of the patient's heart.
The electrode devices used in the above-mentioned ECG procedure normally include an electrical contact element which in conjunction with an electrical conductive gel applied to the skin of the patient, enables the monitoring apparatus to pick up a reading related to the bio-skin potential of the patient. This potential not only is detected, but is generally recorded both in visual and graphic form. ECG electrode devices to perform this function are well known in the art, and by way of example, two types thereof are shown in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,805,769 and 3,828,766.
The medical profession and the public in general has become extremely conscious of the need to monitor the heart of a patient, whether in surgery, for diagnostic purposes, or pursuant to an emergency situation resulting from a cardiac arrest or the like. In this regard almost all surgical procedures involve the monitoring of the patient; para-medic teams often will employ portable ECG monitors to transmit readings to a remote hospital so that they can be advised as to the manner in which to treat emergency heart-attack victims; hospitals have established coronary care and intensive care units, wherein the patients heart and other body functions are monitored on a continuous basis. All of this has led to a great demand for electrode devices which are efficient, convenient to use, and in many instances pre-gelled and disposable. Of course, an additional extremely and important factor is the ultimate cost of the electrodes.
The present invention as will be detailed hereinafter, provides a pre-gelled electrode assembly or package, and a method of manufacture thereof, which permit the efficient and economical fabrication of the electrode, without sacrificing quality or performance. The specifics of said method and structure will become more appareant from the description of the drawings and the discussion of the illustrated embodiment shown therein, both of which follow hereinafter.